The Ontario Agriculture and Food Ministry confirmed the newest case of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) was found in Simcoe County, Ont., on Friday.

The latest confirmation of the deadly pig virus comes just days after the federal government announced it will allow importation of the PED vaccine for use in Canadian pig herds as a precautionary measure.

Though still in preliminary testing, pigs vaccinated with PED have developed antibodies against the virus.

PED has rocked the U.S. hog industry, where it has spread to 22 states since first being detected in May, killing as many as 3 million piglets and driving up pork prices.

Ontario pork producers long feared the virus would make its way north, where it’s been estimated the disease will cost Canada’s pork industry $45 million a year if it spreads across the country.

Lori Moser of the Ontario Pork Congress isn’t surprised by news of the latest case.

Though there will likely be more cases, Canadian hog farmers won’t suffer the same fate as their American counterparts, she said.

“We were also able to catch it earlier than the U.S. because of knowledge, because of awareness,” Moser said. “So we are very hopeful that with good biosecurity practices and diligence on the part of the industry that we will not find ourselves in the same position as the U.S.”

The first Canadian case of PED was confirmed on Jan. 22 at a farm in Middlesex County — one of the top pork producing counties in Ontario.

Since then, three more cases were confirmed, two in Chatham-Kent and one in Norfolk County.

The Ontario Agriculture and Food Ministry confirmed the newest case of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) was found in Simcoe County, Ont., on Friday.

The latest confirmation of the deadly pig virus comes just days after the federal government announced it will allow importation of the PED vaccine for use in Canadian pig herds as a precautionary measure.

Though still in preliminary testing, pigs vaccinated with PED have developed antibodies against the virus.